By Daily Press staff
Santa Monica will serve as the training ground next week for this fall’s Nike Run Hit Wonder Race.
The Nike Run Hit Wonder Race returns to Los Angeles on Sept. 24 at the Los Angeles Coliseum, with 20,000 runners rocking the course to the sounds of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and west coast natives The Donnas, as well as Fountains of Wayne, Nina Sky, Z-Trip and The Aquabats.
Building off the success of last year’s sold-out race, the 2005 tour is coming back with a summer of Run Hit Wonder events. To kick-off the official opening of this year’s race registration, Nike and KIIS-FM will host a special Run Hit Wonder training run and concert with an exclusive musical performance by duo Nina Sky at the Santa Monica Pier’s “Drive-In at the Pier” next Tuesday. Partygoers also will enjoy a post-event outdoor screening of “Austin Powers.”
Early race registrants will sport Nike Run Hit Wonder race gear for the evening and will race to the pier from Nike’s Running Energy Center (REC) in Venice. Additionally, early registrants are invited to continue the Run Hit Wonder-themed evening at a post-event cocktail party at the REC.
The event marks the beginning of the summer of Nike Run Hit Wonder in Los Angeles that will offer a host of events leading up to the race. Runners will have access to the REC offering a series of programming as well as Nike’s free training runs which will take place throughout the city and suburbs.
Interested participants can now register for the Run Hit Wonder race or find a training run near them by visiting www.nikerunhitwonder.com. Trainees will try out the new Nike Shox Cog and Nike Shox Go, Nike Sphere apparel and Triax Series watches. All race registrants also will receive a custom designed Nike Run Hit Wonder Dri-FIT T-shirt.
Los Angeles residents who want to participate in the special training run and the Santa Monica Pier event can win tickets by listening to KIIS-FM, visiting the KIIS- FM Beach Shack at the Santa Monica Pier, or by visiting Niketown LA. Please note there are limited tickets available. Additionally, members of Niketown.com, Nikewomen.com, and Run Club LA will receive invitations via e-mail.
The kickoff will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will meet at the REC house at 423 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, and will run to the Santa Monica Pier. Mixed-media artist’s show all about ‘Choices’
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 5, 2005. Read the original PDF.